Police to move Shahbaz Bhatti's murder trial to military court

Police hope that hearing case in a closed military court will speed up the process & reduce interference from radicals

ISLAMABAD: Police on Thursday said they have asked that the high-profile trial of former minority minister's murder be moved to the newly formed military court.

Former Federal Minister for Minority affairs Shahbaz Bhatti was gunned down in Islamabad in March 2011 for demanding that controversial blasphemy law be reformed.

The murder trial has, however, been hampered by threats from extremists. Police hope that hearing the case in a closed military court will speed up the process and reduce interference from radicals.

"We have sent an official request to the Interior ministry to carry out the murder trial of Shahbaz Bhatti in a military court," a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another police official confirmed the move, adding that the police have been directed to send all terror-related cases to be heard by military courts.

Interior ministry will now be requested to accord its approval before the case can be transferred.

Paul Bhatti, brother of the former minority minister, was forced to flee the country last year after receiving threats from extremists for persuing the case.

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) said threatening pamphlets were also found in the office of a key witness.

The government had decided to set up military courts to try terror-related cases after Taliban gunmen killed 150 people at army-run school last month in the country's deadliest ever militant attack.